The Game
by Kei7
Summary: [AUSessxKagDark] Sesshoumaru is an assassin who is hired to kidnap Kagome for ransom. However, he finds himself falling hard, and he must choose between love or money.


**The Game**  
by Kei

AN: Whoa, long time no see folks! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and any other holidays I forgot. Well, I haven't updated any of my other fics yet, but I have this brand new one. This is gonna be really dark, angsty, and depressing. Hopefully, it will be good as well. This chapter is pretty much just a small intro, so don't forget to review and tell me what you think, and give me some ideas. ^^ Oh, and am I the only one who is annoyed to pieces by stupid FFnet's uploading system? _O *reformats fic for billionth time*

Summary: In a future Tokyo run by venal corporations and drug traffickers, Sesshoumaru is an assassin who is hired to kidnap Kagome for ransom from her father. However, he finds himself falling hard for her, but when her father refuses to pay the ransom he must decide between love and money.

Rating: R for violence, adult situations, language.  
Genre: Drama/Angst/Romance/Action   
Disclaimer: Sesshoumaru, Kagome, etc. belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Any original characters are copyright me. 

Review responses:   
HellzAznGirl - Thanks a bunch! And I will try and update as fast as I can. ^^   
Altalen - I didn't realize that the fic was so much like Prisoner, My Prisoner. I haven't read the fic in months, actually. The last name similarity was completely accidental; I made it up while I was writing and it sounded good, so I used it. I've changed it to the last name I used in J&M. Also, the whole Naraku as Kagome's father thing isn't exactly new. I'm just being a crowd follower, per say. Any similarities between this and PMP are completely coincidental, and the story's not gonna be anything close to it. And I don't know how you got confused about the last part. I checked and Sesshoumaru never says anything is his pleasure, so, yeah.. Oh, and thanks about J&M and G A R D E N.

**Prologue: The Deal**

* * *

_Tell me exactly what am I supposed to do  
Now that I have allowed you to beat me  
Do you think that we could play another game?  
Maybe I could win this time_  
  
-- Disturbed, "The Game"

* * *

There was something so delicious, so invigorating about killing, he decided as he gazed impassively at the man he had slain. 

With a quiet scrape of metal against metal, he sheathed his sword, the blank look letting way to a small smirk as he turned and walked away from the scene, imagining the pandemonium that would ensue when the man's underlings found them man there in a pile of his own blood.

They would say that he had been unjustly killed, but he did not murder the innocent, but murdered the thieves, the corrupted, the evil so that the innocent could have their justice.

It was so very knightly, wasn't it? 

But as his target had taken his last labored breath, and the stench of blood lay heavy on the air, he could not deny the very carnal bloodlust that had run through him. It might have been more enjoyable if could have taken his time killing the man, but that was not what he had been hired to do.

There would be other times, he told himself.

He made a quick, but thorough, job of checking for any fingerprints or marks he had made, knowing that he had not, but one could never be too sure.

He wanted the only clue they would have to the assassin would be the style in which the man was killed.

Sesshoumaru was the only man who used a sword.

+ + + 

The only sound in the long marble hallway was the soft tap and the following echo of Sesshoumaru's shoes as he made his way to the one door in the wing. Without bothering to knock, he entered the large office and nodded curtly to the man behind the oak desk.

"It is nice to see you again, Makino-san," the old man smiled grimly, betraying the jovial sound of his words.

"This Sesshoumaru does not have the time to waste on idle chatter. What is it that you want, Kamaguchi?" he said softly, but the arrogance was not lost on Kamaguchi.

He paid it no mind and invited the other to take a seat, and he did so without a word.

"I know you are aware who Naraku Higurashi is," the older man began, continuing when he received a brief nod. "Just yesterday, I received news of a merger between his company and Fusaka Corp. We all know that all that Naraku wants is to gain control of Tokyo, and I need to stop him before it becomes too late. However, I do not want to kill him just yet."

"Then why do you require my assistance now?" Sesshoumaru asked, a delicate eyebrow raised in question. 

"I want you to kidnap his daughter for ransom. She is his only offspring, so we can probably get enough money from him for her to ruin any chances of his business growing in the near future."

"And if he doesn't pay the ransom, we kill him. I always thought you were too lenient."

The man chuckled softly. "Perhaps. Will you take the job?"

"I don't need any extra baggage, let alone some female," Sesshoumaru told the man bluntly, ready to leave.

"I will give you $10,000 for her kidnapping, and if the need arise, I will give you $20,000 to kill Naraku and $5,000 to dispose of the girl. That is the most I will offer."

There was a long pause as the silver-haired man considered the offer, his face betraying nothing that went on is head. The money was not a problem. It was more than what he was usually paid, and the cash he had stashed away would last him his elongated youkai life. The problem was the girl. 

"I need details. The amount of money is fine."

Kamaguchi had expected this; Sesshoumaru was known to be meticulous and close to perfect in everything he did. He unlocked his bottom drawer and after a bit of rummaging through it, pulled a folder from his desk and handed it to Sesshoumaru. On top was a picture of a smiling young girl, and the man stared critically at it. 

"That's the girl. I'll only tell you where she is currently living if you accept the deal. We've set up a small apartment for you to keep her until we either let her go or kill her. Of course we'd require you to stay there too for that amount of time, to make sure nothing happens to her. The kidnapping should take place either tonight or tomorrow night before Naraku tightens security. He knows what the merger means to us and to him, so he won't be taking any chances."

The room fell into silence again, save for the soft shuffling of papers as Sesshoumaru looked through the folder. The deal was not something he would normally take, but Naraku Higurashi was someone Sesshoumaru despised for his own reasons, and this would be a wonderful revenge.

So, he sighed and told the man he would take the job, despite the fact that taking care of the girl would be more than a hassle. The necessary papers were signed, and the two men shook hands, sealing the deal. As the silver-maned man stood up to leave, the voice of the other stopped him momentarily.

"It's a pleasure to work with you again, Makino-san."

"The pleasure is all yours."

And with that, Sesshoumaru gracefully removed himself from the room.


End file.
